The integral approach taken for the study of the involvement of membranes and ion translocation processes in cardiovascular function and control will be continued. Specific areas of emphasis include: (1) isolation of alpha- and Beta-adrenergic receptors from cardiac and other tissues; (2) purification and characterization of vesicles derived from T tubules; (3) further characterization of the cardiovascular effects of several ion transporting carboxylic onophores, including their overall hemodynamic effects, their coronary vasodilation properties and their influence on the microcirculation of normal, hypoxic and failed myocardium; (4) the bioenergetic status of subcellular organelles isolated from normal, hypertrophied and failed myocardium; (5) the kinetics of fusion of natural and artificial membranes and the binding of calcium to the individual component of the sarcoplasmic reticulum; (6) the role of calcium movements in contraction of aortic smooth muscle and the ionic mechanism of relaxation of coronary muscle by carboxylic ionophores; (7) the intracellular basis of the mechanism of action of carboxylic ionophores in intact animals. The ultimate goal of these studies is not only to gain basic insight into the mechanism of cardiovascular processes but also the preliminary therapeutic evaluation of carboxylic ionophores in animal models for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.